Hello everyone, & welcome to a new week!

I’ve done so many blog posts for my photo art and #ThrowbackThursday blog series (serieses??) this summer, that it’s nice to be posting a session that happened more recently! 

If you’re like me, you like a good beach vacation in the summer. My dad & stepmom typically rent a beach house in the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a week in the summer, and I always enjoy the relaxing time on the sand and in the waves – usually with a book in hand. 

This year’s vacation in Duck, NC was positioned right after my stepbrother’s daughter’s first birthday, and it was the perfect opportunity to get some family photos for them to update the photo prints around their home and get a special piece of wall art with their new(-ish) family of 4!

Mallory & Chris – Outer Banks Family Photography

 

 

During the few days I was there, we spent each evening after dinner walking down to the beach and enjoying the cooler weather, sunset colors, and gorgeous evening light. It didn’t take long for me to determine that having the session around that time one evening would be perfect! 

 

 

Check out that light sneaking in, up there! This evening light is wonderful because it works for backlighting and isn’t too powerful for me to have people face the sun, either! When the sun is even just a little higher in the sky, I usually keep the sun behind you to avoid squinty, blinded eyes and harsh shadows!

This was also right around the time that Macy was starting to pull herself up, then let go with her hands to stand freely, and that grin is just the cutest! 

Um, not to mention Cal’s cheesin’ – what a great smile!!

 

  

 

Mal & Chris ordered this photo (below) in a large gallery image, and it is going to look so beautiful on their wall!! If I could put an emoji here, it would be heart eyes. 

 

 

One reason family photos are special in my mind is because parents don’t tend to be in many pictures with their kids – they’re typically the ones taking the photos. They ALSO need some photos of just themselves too, though! 

That photo on the right… 😀

 

 

Macy was the star of the show at the beginning of the session, and this is her big brother Cal! Both kids were FABULOUS while I was taking photos – but I’m sure that goes without saying, look at those smiles! Usually it’s good to have candy or some other type of incentive to help children behave during sessions, but they were simply marvelous without extraneous rewards!

Precious momma-daughter time, above <3 

AND THESE KITE PHOTOS – above and below… If I had the opportunity to take photos like this every day, my heart would be set for life. Seriously. Did your heart flutter as much as mine did seeing these photos? That authentic interaction, a parent playing with their child and having genuine, simple fun… these are perfect examples of why I love lifestyle photography more than posed photos. I enjoy capturing both styles of photos – but man. There’s just something about capturing these real moments of engagement and love.  

 

 

When your heart is content with the amount of time you’ve viewed the kite photos (I might need more time), here are a few more moments I captured at the end of our session with more family members!

In summary, does anyone want beach photos next summer? Or heck, THIS summer is not technically over yet – anyone want beach photos in the next month?! 🙂 🙂 🙂 (…I’m not joking.)

Thank you SO much Mallory & Chris for having this session with me and allowing me to capture these fun, beautiful moments! Enjoy your prints and gallery image!!

Want to see another cutie’s proud smile as she was just starting to walk? See Olivia here!

Hope you enjoyed the photos, and I’ll see you Thursday for a #ThrowbackThursday post – following up Heaven & Russell’s maternity photos with Phoebe’s newborn session!

In light & love,
Kelly